And Now It Comes...

Over the past few months at Calvary Chapel Oxnard where I am a pastor, we’ve been looking at Revival in the Bible and history. We spent the month of June in our mid-week service praying for revival. We got two cases of Joel Rosenberg’s new book Implosion and hosted his video simulcast in the middle of June in which Joel virtually repeated all we’ve been looking at and saying. Joel states it well; if God’s judgment hasn’t already begun to come on our nation, then at least we could say the US is being shaken.

In light of the economic, social, political, and now the environmental distress our nation is facing, the wise move would be to see in it all the warning of God to confess, repent, turn from our sin and seek Him with renewed fervor. Will we?

But something happened this week that provokes me to grave concern; one I must address. It’s an issue I believe every Bible-believing, God-honoring follower of Jesus needs to consider soberly.In Genesis 12, God appeared to Abraham for the first time and gave him his call. Take careful note of the words of that call –

1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

This is a unilateral promise God made Abraham. It’s unconditioned on anything Abraham did or would do. Verse 3 is remarkable because God identifies that how He treats other peoples will depend on how they treat Abraham’s people, meaning the Jews and the land they would inhabit as their nation.

Even a cursory review of history will prove that those who’ve sought to bless Israel and Jewish people have known God’s favor while those who oppose Israel and abuse the Jewish people have been judged, often severely. They may enjoy a time in the sun, but eventually they go down to defeat and ruin.

The United States is not exempt from this rule of history. As a nation, we’ve been a harbor for the Jewish people for generations. Yes, there have always been tiny smatterings of anti-Semites but the policy of the US, both official and unofficial has been to welcome Jews and give them equal opportunity to grow and prosper. The United States was one of the first to recognize the State of Israel in 1948. And while Israel has faced an unrelenting barrage of criticism and condemnation in the UN, the US has used its place on the Security Council to veto condemnation resolutions time and again.

This marks the turning point in my public position regarding the current Administration. The US Ambassador to the UN only and ever takes positions sanctioned by the White House. So, it is now the policy of this Administration, for all its feigned support of Israel, to approve of a condemnation of Israel so that it can cull support for a condemnation of Syria? Really??!!?! Obama is going to suggest the human rights violations in Israel are on par with what’s going on in Syria? And what is Obama and the rest of those condemning Syria suggesting? That the Government of Syria be replaced, with what? Take a look at what just happened in Egypt and what is right now unfolding in Libya. Radical Islamists are now in control. Is that what they want in Syria? Because that is what they are going to get is Bashir is swept aside.

Bu placing Israel and Syria in the same moral place with these resolutions, Obama is in effect saying the current government in Israel ought to be replaced. Make no mistake; that’s precisely what the nations that have been condemning Israel for years have wanted all along.

I’m not naïve to the fact that there have been other times in our history when our support for Israel was weak, questionable even. But this is different because there’s no question now. As the article is titled; the US has turned its back on Israel and thrown t to the wolves.

I’m not one bit worried for Israel. God’s promised to take care of them, and in truth, this may be a wonderful moment for the people of Israel to look to God because their major ally has just betrayed them. But for us—for the USA? This set us nationally on the path to ruin.

It does so because of the iron-clad principle of Genesis 12:3 – “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.”

Obama may consider this a politically expedient move but it reveals his utter obliviousness to God’s Word. This seemingly small current event is something a discerning future generation will look back on as the tipping point when the great American nation decided its fate (if Jesus delays His return).

So, I cannot be silent. I must take a stand and say this president does NOT represent me or mine. The Bible calls me to pray for those in authority, especially rulers; and I have, do and will pray for Obama, Congress, and the Court. But as an American citizen, I also have a duty to seek to sway public policy in a certain direction when conscience demands it. This is why our Bill of Rights guarantees the Freedom of Speech and to Assembly.

While I greatly respect the office of the President, the current office holder has effectively doomed our nation with this policy toward Israel. This is neither exaggeration, nor hyperbole. I’m being careful here to rein in the vitriol that wants to flow.

Obama is wrong and has imperiled our country. My prayer is that he repents, and alters this policy as soon as possible. Every day that passes while it remains in force is another day close to our being cursed by God.

Isn’t it interesting that within days of this happening a heat wave shatters 300 records across the country and now news of a severe drought which may wipe out many crops.